I spent the last four days at The Stash Bash, just outside of Atlanta, with an amazing group of women that I'm missing quite a bit this morning. Good thing there's exactly two cookies left from the giant double batch of Salty Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies I baked for them, because it's the perfect "hair of the dog" kind of hangover cure I'm needing this morning.

Elizabeth's Salty Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of softened, room temp salted butter - trust me, use salted butter here!
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon good vanilla extract - I like the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla brand best
1/4 cup salty caramel sauce - Jen's recipe is the best
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
18 oz mini chocolate chips - 1 1/2 bags worth, roughly
Pink or white coarse sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet or two with a Silpat or with parchment paper.
2. Beat softened butter with the sugars until fluffy and well mixed. Mix in eggs, then caramel. Quick tip on the caramel - spritz your measuring cup with some Pam or similar to make the caramel come right out, super easy. Add in vanilla, mix thoroughly and scrape the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Slowly add your dry ingredients, a cup or so at a time, to the dough, and mix thoroughly.
4. Add chocolate chips and mix with a wooden spoon or spoonula.
5. To make big cookies, scoop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned on the edges. Underbaking is key to making the cookies stay fresh longer! I usually bake for 10 minutes on the dot, depending on how my oven is behaving.
6. To make smaller cookies, like the ones I brought to the Stash Bash, scoop using a regular silverware spoon. Dough is pliable, so roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and sprinkle with coarse sea salt before baking for 7-8 minutes. Again, underbake slightly to ensure that the cookies stay fresh longer.
7. Either size you bake, make sure to let the cookies "rest" on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a rack to finish cooling.

One batch makes approximately 36 large cookies or 80 small cookies

Happy Monday everyone!